Branded messages and long code messages

Nowadays, the demand for effective communication and exchange of information between businesses and customers, sellers and buyers, schools and parents, as well as companies and employees is a fundamental aspect that plays a key role in our lives. Communication through print media and email notifications is becoming less effective, especially with the emergence of new digital technologies.

Finding an effective and innovative tool for communication is a priority for businesses and organizations. Currently, there are many modes of communication-based on phone and internet platforms, such as mobile app notifications or SMS and MMS messaging on mobile platforms. However, the use of MMS leads to high costs and depends heavily on existing telephone infrastructure, so SMS is a more effective and user-friendly tool used by many businesses and organizations.

In SMS messaging, businesses often choose from two types of messaging: texts displaying phone numbers (long numbers or codes, usually in the form of 09XXXXXXXX), or texts with SMS Brandname (displaying the brand name of the business, for example, KinhDo, Eximbank, Prudentials, etc.)

SMS Marketing, SMS Brandname, SMS Brand, Branded Messages: These services are instantly recognizable to businesses and organizations, especially those who use SMS to advertise, transmit information and provide customer service to their customers.

Long code messages

A long code message is a message that is sent with the standard mobile number format. Businesses and organizations using the long code SMS service need to arrange their plans with a mobile network. If all is satisfactory, the mobile network will provide a unique mobile number for the business. This number can only be used to text customers and send content that has been previously registered with the network.

Long code messages are only to be used for customer service to send messages to mobile subscribers with user consent. They are not to be used for advertising or promotion services. If the service is misused, the operator may block or revoke the number, and you may be fined or prohibited from using the long code to message again.

Features of long code messages:

• Displays the number 09X XXXXXXX
• Used for customer service and support
• The character limit for an SMS message is 160 characters
• Content is limited to the Vietnamese keyboard with no accents, using ASCII characters
• Rate of message delivery is very high (hundreds of thousands of messages per hour)
• All mobile phones can receive messages
• Can receive responses (feedback, replies) from customers’ phones

Long code messages can also be used to receive feedback messages from customers. When customers receive a message, they can reply to the message through an automated system or perform basic actions that have been integrated in advance.

Branded messages (otherwise known as SMS Marketing, SMS Brandname, SMS Brand)

Branded messaging is a type of messaging service displaying the brand name of the business. For example, Vietcombank sends messages to its customers with the brand name VIETCOMBANK. Mobile users who have not saved the number of Vietcombank will still receive a message displaying the brand VIETCOMBANK, and they can easily identify the company, have full trust in the legitimacy of the message contents and save it for future reference. Branded messaging is also a means of providing information to customers including the arrival of new products, promotional services, and incentive programs.

Branded messages, in addition to customer support, can be used to advertise to people who are not yet customers. Customer service messages are designed for people who are already customers of the business. On the other hand, messages used to send advertisements (spam messages) are designed for people who are not yet affiliated with the business. If for some reason the business arranges a list of phone numbers, it is possible to use branded messaging for advertising purposes. However, when doing so, businesses must be careful to comply with the adopted rules of the law guiding SMS and spam messaging. Moreover, current network operators offer other forms of advertising such as advertising for customers meeting certain criteria (age, occupation, income, residence), location-based advertising, event advertising…

Branded advertising messages (Advertising messages, Advertising SMS)

Branded advertising messaging is a type of branded messaging service used to advertise to customers. Advertising messages must comply with advertising laws, and have the following features:

• Displays the brand name and cannot receive replies
• Allows messaging to mobile users who are or are not customers
• Advertising messages can send promotions and promotional services
• Automatically does not send to those who have “opted out” from the network (do not receive advertising notifications from the network)
• Advertising messages must contain an option to opt out (e.g. To stop receiving messages, reply STOP to 1441)
• Message content always opens with “QC” (Advertisement)
• Advertising messages must be approved by the network every time a message is sent
• Advertising messages are not sent immediately but must be planned in advance and forwarded to the network at least 24 hours before the intended delivery time
• The character limit is 650 characters per SMS message, but you are charged according to the number of messages delivered (refer to the article on Branded advertising messages)
• Advertising messages often cost less than customer service messages

 

Branded customer service messages (Customer service messages, Customer service SMS)

Branded customer service messaging is a type of branded messaging service used to provide support for customers with questions or technical problems. Customer service messages are sent directly to customers and can be used to immediately notify customers in cases such as sending one-time passwords, account transaction information, instant notifications, work or test timetables. Customer service messages have the following features:

• Displays the brand name and does not receive replies
• Only used to message customers of the business
• Sends instant notifications and news
• Delivered to customers simultaneously (in less than one second)
• Customer service messages are sent to all subscribers, even if users have “opted out” from the network (do not receive advertising notifications from the network)
• Businesses must draft the messages according to an SMS template which has been pre-approved by the network. If a new template is to be used, the business must have it approved by the network operator
• The character limit is 650 characters per SMS message (every 160 characters is charged as a message)
• Customer service messages often cost more than advertising messages

Content of customer service messages:

• Bank services: customers’ account balance, statements
• Security company services: price list, transactions, index number, account balance
• Electricity and water company services: monthly bills and charges, due date, contact details, statements and payment
• School services: academic calendar, tuition payment, and school contacts
• Airline services: booking code, flight status, and payment status
• Birthday or new year notifications
• And many other services…

Using branded messaging with TAS

The SMS messaging service was implemented by Trí Anh Solutions in 2008, and with over 10 years of experience in service development, TAS offers among the best SMS Brandname services available in the market today. TAS has integrated SMS software with tremendous capacity, providing operations at millions of messages per hour. Our SMS software also allows for real-time communication so customers can message directly, and testing tools and platforms to guarantee the performance of your messaging service. TAS SMS software has the following features:

• Provides very high performance
• Allows customers to message, look up information and report SMS information daily, weekly or monthly
• Allows customers to manage their own portal; allowing an administrator account to assign branches to separate store accounts
• Has a monitoring system which notifies the administrator before and after a message has been sent, preventing faulty messages or exceeding the budget
• Provides statistics on the effectiveness of the SMS campaign, tracking the success or failure rate of your message
• Supports API functions which allow customers to connect to specific software of the business
• Multi-platform support system: Web, Windows, mobile apps
• Allows integration with the SMS Gateway system to create advertising programs and receive feedback, statistically, track campaign activity and record feedback from customers

TAS SMS software provides two types of services:

• Prepaid SMS service
• Postpaid SMS service

Prepaid SMS messaging

Clients of TAS will register for the service by depositing money into an account in advance of service use. Every time a message is generated, transactions will be deducted from their account until the account balance is exhausted. If an organization has multiple branches, the master user account can divide the budget for each branch account. When a branch uses the messaging service, the transaction will be deducted from the master user account.

The benefits of prepaid SMS:

• The budget is never exceeded as there are no excess charges.
• The service is available at any time for messaging.

To implement a prepaid SMS, there are only three simple steps.

Step 1 Register with TAS via hotline 02873017207 or email sales@trianh.vn

Step 2 Fill in a form which takes only 30 minutes.

Step 3 Deposit money into a messaging account. There are two ways for clients to do so: through bank transfer or cash deposit.

Step 4 And finally, you can use the TAS SMS service.

Postpaid SMS messaging

TAS clients will register for this service and be billed according to their use of the service at the end of every month. These are the steps to implementing postpaid SMS:

Step 1 Register with TAS via hotline 02873017207 or email sales@trianh.vn

Step 2 Fill in a form which takes only 30 minutes.

Step 3 Sign a contract committing to payment of service fees to TAS according to your service usage.

Step 4 And finally, you can use the TAS SMS service.

Step 5 At the end of each month, customers will be billed and payment will be monitored by TAS when it is due.

Contact information

Office     : P1.423, 17-19-21 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi, Phường 12, Phú Nhuận, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Hotline   : 028 73017207 – 73002003

Website : www.trianh.vn

Email     : sales@trianh.vn

Thank you very much and we look forward to serving you in the future!